Food as Medicine | Bone Health...

So often we take our bodies for granted. Right now our hearts are beating, our lungs are working, our skeleton is holding us upright, and our livers are working to get the toxins out of our systems …uh-huh, they’re doing all that and we don’t even need to think about it!

Sometimes though if we’re not taking care of ourselves, our bodies start working less efficiently and it’s not until things get serious that we actually do something about putting things right.

The good news is that it’s never too late to start supporting our bodies …and there’s more good news ..it’s not tricky to achieve either!

Would you rather feel exhausted all the time or have the energy to enjoy your day? Be constantly sick or have a strong immune system? Be bloated all time or feel light and vital? …Not to mention the impact it has on our stress levels and mood. Nutrition is the best form of proactive health insurance there is because a diet that’s right for you makes a difference on so many levels.

This week's article focuses on bone health …everyone knows calcium is important when it comes to healthy bones, but did you know there are many other influential factors which can be achieved by having a balanced and varied diet? Yep, just pop a few of these into your shopping basket on a weekly basis and you’ll be doing yourself a lot of favours…

Oat bran, brown rice, quinoa, pumpkin and sunflower seeds, nuts, lentils, leafy greens …are all rich in magnesium which increases calcium absorption from the blood into the bones.

Oily fish, soya products, shitake mushrooms, egg yolks are all rich in vitamin D which helps absorption of calcium from the intestines, plus it can prevent the loss of calcium in urine.

Seafoods, especially roes, liver, meat, eggs and dairy products, pulses, quinoa, nut and seeds are all super sources of phosphorus which is essential for effective mineralisation of bones and teeth.

Eggs, cheese, sweet potato, squash, broccoli, peppers, avocado, apricots as well as liver, meat, poultry and fish are excellent sources of Vitamin A which is necessary for bone growth of babies and children.

Green leafy vegetables like kale, broccoli, parsley, swiss chard, peppers, squash and tomatoes are all healthy sources of Vitamin K which is necessary for blood clotting and maintaining healthy bone density.

Oily fish such as herring, salmon, mackerel, even oysters, nuts, seeds, avocados and their oils are all rich in omega oils,which are important because they help absorption of fat soluble vitamins D and K.

…and don’t forget lifestyle factors are important too; 30 minutes gentle exercise every day is really important as is reduction of stress.

See, you don’t need to stress about your diet …just get a new Attitude to Food!